


Love Like There's Nobody Watching

by sanguine_gay



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Beach episode!!, F/M, Love Confessions, M/M, Post-Episode: e067-069 Story and Song Parts 1-3, and refuses to examine his psyche beyond a surface level, but is also emotionally conspipated, taako loves his family very much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:01:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28726266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanguine_gay/pseuds/sanguine_gay
Summary: As Taako looked out at the sand from the barrel of a wave, he caught a glimpse of Kravitz’s face as he stood at the edge of the waves, lopsided hat still perched on his head, held in place by a hand. He was cheesing hard, eyes crinkled and sparkling in the sun. The amount of excitement on his face was almost embarrassing. Taako loved him for it. Taako loved him.That realization threw him off the wave, and Taako swam to shore, sputtering salt water the whole way.
Relationships: Barry Bluejeans/Lup, Kravitz/Taako (The Adventure Zone)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	Love Like There's Nobody Watching

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dragon_zena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragon_zena/gifts).



> Happy belated birthday Mack!! It wasn't originally a birthday present but I am now treating it like one <3 lol I'm so sorry it took me so long to finish this I hope you like it!!

“Put on some fucking sunscreen Ango, what are you a goddamn animal!?”

Angus stood petulantly as Taako dug the giant yellow bottle out of his Bag of Holding, shaking it threateningly.

“I’ve gone to the beach without sunscreen before, sir, I’m sure I’ll be fine. My skin never burns!”

Taako scoffed and rolled his eyes, “And you think mine does? Even if your skin doesn’t burn there’s still like skin cancer and stuff! And wrinkles!”

“Sir, I’m 12.”

“I don’t care just lather the fuck up!”

Angus grumbled as he grabbed the bottle, halfheartedly squeezing it into his hand and rubbing it on his face and arms.

Taako turned away and started digging in his Bag for his towel and umbrella. “You better be covering every inch of your skin or so help me!”

Angus groaned, “Fineeeeee,” as Lup walked up to them.

“You sound like such a mom!” she laughed, settling her own beach towel next to Taako. Taako froze for a second at that and then immediately waved it off.

“My cool and apathetic persona does not extend to skincare. UV rays add up,” Taako said as he primly adjusted his gigantic sun hat.

Angus held the obnoxiously sized bottle towards him. “Can you help me with my back, I can’t reach.” Taako laid back on his settled blanket and flicked a pair of sunglasses onto his face.

“Sorry, too busy, ask Lup bubbeleh.”

Angus sighed and sat down in front of Lup, looking back at her questioningly. Lup took the bottle from his hands and smiled wordlessly, squeezing the lotion into her warmed hands. Taako looked behind him to see Kravitz and Barry, stepping out from a rift and heading towards them with a surfboard in each hand. Taako was hit with a wave of nostalgia when he saw the boards, rescued from the inside of The Starblaster, the designs he and Barry had perfected after Taako had invented surfing. He never thought he would see them again. He hadn’t even had the mind to miss them. Taako sternly pulled his mind away from that railroad track and smiled at Kravitz as he carefully laid the board on the sand, before sitting to share Taako’s blanket.

“You know you could have just told me you wanted to get my board. The whole bathroom thing was kind of a shitty lie,” Taako laughed, subtly leaning closer to Kravitz’s cold body.

Kravitz chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, “Sorry. When Barry told me I kind of wanted it to be a surprise.”

Taako intertwined their hands. This was simultaneously a public display of affection and also an excuse to cool off.

Taako sighed dramatically as he said, “I mean, I would have probably asked you to go get it for me anyway, so you saved me a lot of eyelash batting. I think that pretty much evens out.”

Kravitz smiled brightly, and Taako stiffened. There was just something about a Kravitz Grin. All sickly saccharine and adoring. Something that made his chest spill fondness like a fucking fountain or some shit. Taako saw it every day and still hadn’t learned what to do when it was directed at him. So, he just squeezed his hand and turned to look at the ocean. Christ, he had become such a fucking sap.

“Taako!!!!!” he heard a voice shout from the direction of Merle’s beach house. Magnus was waving at him from the beach house, Mookie pulling on his hair from his spot on Magnus’ shoulders. At Taako’s acknowledgment, he ran towards their group, Mookie screeching in delight as Merle and Mavis appeared in the doorway to walk towards them as well.

“Sup,” said Taako, looking up at him nonchalantly, “looks like the gangs all here.”

“Well, not really everyone. Davenport couldn’t make it! Neither could Lucretia…” said Magnus, subtly searching for some kind of reaction at the news. Taako continued to look unaffected.

“Is that so?” he yawned, lounging even further back on his blanket. Taako was kind of disappointed Davenport couldn’t make it. He kind of missed his old captain. His feelings about Lucretia were completely different. He was kind of glad Lucretia wasn’t there. No Lucretia, no eventual screaming match, no reminders of what she did to him, of his shitty swiss cheese brain. No reminders of what he had lost, what he hadn’t even thought to miss. He looked over to Lup, dunking Angus in the ocean and laughing brightly. Kravitz squeezed their hands and looked at Taako questioningly. Taako just smiled weakly and picked himself up from the blanket, kissing the top of Kravitz’s head while he was up there. As Magnus and Mookie made the standard “ewww” and gagging noises, he picked up his board from where it was laying in the sand.

“I’m gonna go shred some fucking waves. Hold this for me,” Taako said as he placed his hat on Kravitz’s head. Kravitz smiled softly at the gesture and adjusted the hat.

“I’ll be watching you. Good luck, love.”

Taako slightly blushed at the nickname and turned away towards the ocean, flipping his hair dramatically.

“Fuck yeah you better fucking be. It’s gonna look sick as hell, fucking prime entertainment over here!”

And it was sick as hell. Lots of carves and aerials and shit, terms that Taako had made up himself because he was the inventor of surfing. Barry joined him eventually, not as skillful but definitely enough to make Lup cheer and whistle from the beach. As Taako looked out at the sand from the barrel of a wave, he caught a glimpse of Kravitz’s face as he stood at the edge of the waves, lopsided hat still perched on his head, held in place by a hand. He was cheesing hard, eyes crinkled and sparkling in the sun. The amount of excitement on his face was almost embarrassing. Taako loved him for it. Taako loved him.

That realization threw him off the wave, and Taako swam to shore, sputtering salt water the whole way.

*

Later that night, a cozy bonfire was set up. Logs and bad chairs and smores and everything, the works. The only thing missing was a hipster asshole shittly singing Fantasy Wonderwall on an acoustic guitar he only played when other people were around. It kind of reminded him of the camping they did after the disaster that was Wonderland. The whole situation definitely sucked, but there was a comfort in just sitting around a campfire together, the Tres Horny Boys plus his lich-brother-in-law he hadn’t realized at the time was his lich-brother-in-law.

Currently he was sitting with Kravitz, Lup and Barry sharing a chair to their right, quietly whispering to each other and giggling. Taako made the required gagging sounds and got a napkin thrown at his head for his troubles. Across the fire, Magnus was loudly talking to Angus and Mavis about his dogs (who he apparently missed very badly, as his eyes were slightly teary while he gestured manically). Merle and Mookie sat near them, Mookie trying to shove as many marshmallows as he could in his mouth while Merle supplied the marshmallows and loudly counted, grinning proudly. Taako sighed softly and slowly drifted toward Kravitz, leaning his body weight on the other man’s side. Kravitz absentmindedly reached an arm to hook over Taako’s shoulder as he stared intensely into the fire, attempting to perfectly sear his marshmallow.

As Taako looked around at his family contentedly, he realized that there was a small part of him that whispered that the picture wasn’t really complete. Taako examined it warily and filed it away for later thought. Much later thought. He steered back towards the sensation of Kravitz’s bare arm completely pressed to his, radiating a coldness that was now comforting. Taako’s head drifted down to Kravitz’s shoulder, laid with finality. Kravitz tilted his head to softly tap his in acknowledgement, before lifting back up to focus again on the construction of his smore. Taako closed his eyes to breathe in the scent of ocean, bonfire, and comfort. As his eyes closed, the familiar chaos around him rocked him to sleep in a way that hadn’t happened in many years.

*

Kravitz shook him awake as Magnus was cheerfully dousing the fire, moons high and silver in the night. Taako yawned and stood up, bones popping and cracking all the way through the movement. As he looked around, he saw that Merle and his kids were gone, probably already inside the house. Angus was fast asleep, cradled in Barry’s arms as he stood next to Lup. Barry turned to Taako and smiled tiredly.

“I think me n’ Lup are heading back to the house. You coming?”

“Fuck yeah, I wanna sleep in my own fucking bed,” Taako asserted, looking towards Magnus. “You need a ride home Mags?”

Magnus smiled sheepishly as he stamped out the last of the embers.

“Sure, since you’re offering! Trains are such a fucking pain.”

“Fucking tell me about it!” Taako groaned, stretching his arms up. 

“We can take Magnus home, Taako, you look like you’re about to pass out again,” Lup laughed, walking over to Magnus and planting a hand on his shoulder, “Plus, I miss your dogs! I wanna see ‘em again!”

Barry walked over to Taako and handed Angus over.

“Oof,” mumbled Taako, shifting the boy more comfortably in his arms, “What is this kid eating, fucking bricks? I swear to Istus he wasn’t this heavy before.” 

Kravitz laughed as he took out his scythe. “See you guys at the house.”

“Bye Taako,” said Magnus, quickly dashing over to give him a squeeze, careful of the sleeping detective in his arms. “You better visit me soon!”

“Yeah yeah, bye Mags,” Taako replied flippantly, slightly leaning into the contact.

Kravitz chuckled and split a rift into the air, and Taako stepped into the dark living room. He walked up the stairs past Lup and Barry’s room to tuck Angus into bed, removing his shoes and glasses. Angus mumbled slightly at his ministrations, but ultimately stayed asleep, breathing deeply as Taako softly closed the door.

Kravitz met up with him in the bathroom as he was brushing his teeth with Mage Hand while combing out his hair. The sight of him and Kravitz brushing their teeth together in the mirror was sickeningly domestic.

They settled silently into bed, facing each other in the dark. Taako’s arm settled heavily over Kravitz’s waist, while the elf’s head was pillowed on the reaper’s arm. He traced the bridge of Kravitz’s nose with his eyes, his cheekbones and the shell of his ear. Kravitz seemed to be doing the same thing across from him. Kravitz smiled softly and carefully kissed Taako upon the bridge of his nose. Taako grinned sleepily back and squeezed his waist teasingly, and they sunk back into their comfortable silence. Until it was broken by Kravitz, a whisper of a sound.

“I love you.”

Taako jolted, moving his gaze from the jut of his cheekbone to his Kravitz’s eyes. He was looking at him sweet as anything, crinkled eyes glinting in the bright moonlight coming in from the window. Taako buried his face into the blanket between them, but quickly decided he’d rather just go all the way and bury it in Kravitz’s chest instead. Easier to face that then the sincerity leaking from every pore. But still, Taako felt like he had to give a proper answer. He’d just had a whole realization moment that afternoon! He could definitely tell Kravitz he loved him back, yep. Just four words. I love you too. Taako opened his mouth.

“Yeah.”

Fuck.

Taako looked up at Kravitz and winced, hoping that his fuckup hadn’t accidentally caused the collapse of their relationship, but he only saw a desperate fondness in his eyes. Kravitz hugged Taako to his chest, laughing quietly.

“It’s okay, love. You don’t have to say it back.”

Taako relaxed a little at the man’s words, but still felt dissatisfied. Even if he couldn’t say the words, he wanted to express how much Kravitz meant to him, how much he loved him. Taako gently placed a hand on Kravitz’s cheek, squeezing all of the love roiling in his stomach to flow out into the palm of his hand, into his face, trying to project all the sincerity and love he felt into one expression. Taako didn’t know how successful he was, but he got another Kravitz Grin, so it must have been at least somewhat adequate.

As he settled his hand back to its original spot, Kravitz moved to kiss Taako again, aiming for his lips instead. The kiss was long and sweet, and tasted of toothpaste. Kravitz pulled back and sighed deeply, smiling the whole time.

“Ok thug, we really gotta sleep this time. I’m tired as fuck.”

Kravitz giggled as settled back into the mattress, Taako’s head now laying on his chest. The arrhythmic beating of Kravitz’s “heart” was a new development, but it was soothing as hell. As was his now involuntary breathing. The fact that Kravitz loved him so much that his body physically changed was really weird but in a good way. A really good way. As the moons continued their path across the sky, Taako settled into sleep, lulled by the sound of pumping blood and synchronized breathe. Love made manifest. The last thing Taako thought before slipping into unconsciousness was: _I think I could get used to this_.


End file.
